Nearly half (43.3%) of workers in the automotive sector admit to ‘benching’ a prospective employer, with 44.5% stating that they would be willing to keep a job offer on hold for over two weeks.

This is according to a new study from independent job site CV-Library.

The study, which explored the views of 1,500 professionals, revealed that nearly two thirds (60%) of workers in the automotive sector think that candidates should keep potential employers ‘on the bench’ in case a new job doesn’t work out, with more than half (55.2%) thinking that this behaviour could be beneficial to job hunters.

Lee Biggins, CV-Library managing director, said: “It’s clear many candidates are holding on to their job offers, in order to see if they can get a better deal elsewhere.

"It’s interesting that workers across the automotive industry are willing to make a recruiter wait for well over a fortnight, far higher than any other industry.

"In some cases, this is a strategy that can pay off, but I would advise any candidate in the industry to be careful of pushing away a great opportunity, by taking this approach.”

According to the data, it also turns out that candidates are being benched by recruiters too, with over a third (36.7%) of workers in the sector stating that this had happened to them.

But, of those that were placed in a talent pool, 95.7% said that they didn’t get a job as a result.

“Keeping each other on the bench is clearly becoming an integral part of both recruiters’ and candidates’ strategies when it comes to filling a position/searching for a new job.

"Though some may view this negatively, it can be mutually beneficial for each party: opening up the possibility for new opportunities and an increased talent pool.

"That said it is clear that only a small percentage of candidates are currently getting jobs as a result of being benched.

"Ultimately, whether you’re looking for a talented new recruit or your dream job, the search can be long, but our findings suggest that benching can help you to get one step closer to ensuring you find the perfect fit.”